When I first started training 10 years ago, most mass gainers were not only filled with sugar but fillers and crap that just made people gain slabs of fat (nope not muscle).

It's no different these days.

With amino spiking becoming a "thing" and mass gainers still trying to sneak in fillers and useless ingredients, you've got to tread carefully as the next mass gainer you buy may make you wonder why you threw away money to get fat.

The goal has never changed here, you're looking to gain muscle while minimizing fat gain. ​

You can maximize your gains by using a pre workout made for gains, so check out our pre workout guide.

So we'll start with the best meal replacement supplements (they are basically weight gainers) then on to the best mass gainers...

True Mass is one of the most caloric dense weight gainers out there today.

Made by BSN, a superb company for supplements though their current pre workout NO Xplode sucks, this weight gainer has 1200 calories with tons of complex carbs, a nicely put together protein blend, and lots of other nutrients that your bulking phase will only benefit from.

Being the company that creates one of the most popular protein powders out there (like Syntha 6), you'd know that they would only get better with a mass gainer.

Every serving has 16 grams of healthy fats (like MCT's etc), so you could easily cut the serving size in half and still get an optimal amount of macros here.

Dymatize's protein is like the IKEA of furniture, you can't really go wrong with it and you'll find them to be affordable.

The protein blend is quite premium, despite what you may judge from the supplement design (it doesn't really look appealing right?), but it starts its' protein blend with whey concentrate and whey isolate and ends with hydrolysate.

These sources of protein range from fast to medium to slow (with egg albumin and micellar casein) digesting so you'll be set drinking this before or after your workout.

It also has a digestive blend, all the vitamins and tops it off with creatine monohydrate (a must have for hardgainers).

Dymatize is also known for great tasting protein, this gainer is no different.

The price is also fair. You could use full fat milk and use less of a serving and still get optimal amounts of macros and nutrients...

You'll always find this gainer on many top lists and reviews like Gym Talk and many others.

We'll also have to do a serious in-depth review on this but here's the scoop and what each serving contains...

Every serving has 50 grams of various protein sources, 250 grams of carbs, 5 grams of fats, a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals, and even creatine and glutamine.

So you're not only getting a meal replacement here (if you don't mind drinking shakes as your meals) but also creatine and glutamine for optimal recovery and muscle growth.

Some people have claimed to gain up to 15 pounds on this, but we really doubt half of it would be muscle gains as the creatine and sodium in here can really add on water weight (which isn't a bad thing during bulking season).

If you want to avoid the bloating issues then you'll want to cut back to half a scoop while taking this but that would be the only reason why this isn't high up on the list.

Otherwise, this is perfect for you hardgainers and ectomorphs who are looking to gain mass.

The Guide To Mass Gainers

If you are eating junk food, I don’t care how hard you train or how perfect your workouts are, you will not make as much progress as you should be.

You just won’t get anywhere.

Apply the same mindset to mass gainers.

They are convenient and a luxury to have.

But they are not needed or required.

If you are an ectomorph who has a super hard time putting on weight, check your diet.

Once you know your diet is good, then maybe you can supplement and use these powders as they are super convenient and easy to take.

So if you didn’t read all of the above…

It’s vital to just understand that training and nutrition (from real food) is the key to constant gains.

And even if your diet is perfect, mass gainers should not be the sole source of nutrition and macros.

What Are Mass Gainers?

Protein powders are often not enough for those looking for a more all-in-one complete solution.

Mass gainers are that solution and they provide everything from protein, carbs, fats and fiber.

They can be used as meal replacements but should never be used for every single meal.

Anyone from athletes, bodybuilders to regular people who are too busy to prepare meals ahead of time can use mass gainers.

What’s The Difference Between Mass Gainers and Weight Gainers?

You may see weight gainers and mass gainers being used for these types of supplements but there is a little difference between the two.

Mass gainers contain a little less fats and carbs but generally more protein.

They also have anywhere between 100 to 300 calories.

Weight gainers are much more dense in calories, carbs, fats and vitamins.

They range from 300 to 600 calories.

You could easily use a regular protein powder, add a bunch of ingredients (like peanut butter, nuts, berries, etc.) and call it a weight gainer.

The Labels Tell It All

Use them as directed on the label (yes you need to read the label).

Generally mass gainers are great to use post workout as they contain simple carbs that shoot up your blood sugar but if they have complex carbs like oats then it can be used before your workouts.

Once you understand what to avoid from mass gainers and what to look for, you’ll easily be able to distinguish a good gainer from a bad one.

Weight Loss Or Muscle Gains

While it may sound strange, but weight gainers can be used for virtually any goal.

Whether it’s weight loss, weight gain or weight maintenance.

Weight gainers might be packed with calories of protein carbs and fats, you still need to eat more than you burn in order to gain weight.

So your BMR (basel metabolic rate) needs to be considered, as well as how much (and how hard) exercise you’ve done.

Mass Gainers As Meal Replacement Powders

Mass gainers are like whole meals, you can get everything in one sitting.

So the benefits are similar to what you would get from food.

But mass gainers have a slight advantage as they are more convenient, don’t need much preparation, can be consumed anywhere, anytime and are easily tracked as the label displays how much of each macro you’re getting.

You can think of it as nutrition in a scoop, but again it can never replace whole food and hard training.

And these benefits are in general as some mass gainers can pack “empty” calories.

Alcohol for example contains empty calories without any nutritional value.

Like fast food and processed foods may have poor nutritional value thanks to the preservatives, sodium, etc, but they still contain protein, carbs and fats.

Think of mass gainers as food. You’d want to get something as natural as possible.

What Makes It Different Than Protein Powders?

Mass gainers tend to pack everything and are ready to consume.

Protein powders just contain protein but they can be mixed with other ingredients.

So this brings us to the question of…

Should You Take A Mass Gainer Or Make Your Own?

Answer this first….

Do you have the money to spend?

Would you rather spend the time to prepare your own or would you prefer it to be ready?

Mass gainers pack everything you need into a scoop.

Making your own would take a little bit of time preparing, storing and cleaning but it is worth it as you would know what you put in it and you would be consuming fresher foods and fruits.

Sometimes weight gainers (aka mass gainers in this case) can contain simple carbs instead of complex, which is likely to have you store more fat than usual.

You need to pick the best quality for your buck if you want to get the most out of mass gainers.

Nader Qudimat

Forged by the iron and cold steel, Nader takes his knowledge and hulks it up into this site.
Having to be stuck as a 110lb skinny guy in the early days, he has had no choice but to keep improving himself until he cannot.
Click here to check out his 12 year transformation: Natural 12 Year Transformation

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